Main navigation

User account menu

Two objects, A and B, have equal mass. Prior to the collision, mass A is moving 10 m/s in the +x-direction, and mass B is moving 4 m/s in the +x-direction. Which of the following results represents an inelastic collision between A and B?

After the collision, mass A is at rest, and mass B moves 14 m/s in the +x-direction.

After the collision, mass A moves 4 m/s in the –x-direction, and mass B moves 18 m/s in the +x-direction.

After the collision, the two masses stick together and move 7 m/s in the +x-direction.

After the collision, mass A moves 4 m/s in the +x-direction, and mass B moves 10 m/s in the +x-direction.

Sign up to view this solution video!

This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko.
When objects stick together, that collision is considered an inelastic collision. So the answer here is C and all we need to look at is just the fact that they stick together.